Recent studies support the theory that the pulse rate of the individual at any given time is related to the number of calories burned by the person. FIG. 1 illustrates a chart which compares the calorie burn rate versus the pulse rate. As seen in FIG. 1, the calorie burn rate is not directly proportional to the pulse rate but varies somewhat. Thus, if a person has a pulse rate of 140 pulses per minute, he will be burning approximately 16 calories per minute.
Thus it can be seen that a person will burn more calories if his heart is beating faster than if he had a slower pulse rate. Heretofore, there was no method which enabled a person to determine how many heart pulses he had experienced over a predetermined length of time which would enable him to approximate the number of calories he had consumed or burned during that same length of time.
Therefore, it is the principal object of the invention to provide an electronic calorie counter.
A still further object of the invention is to provide a calorie counter which detects the heart pulses and which provides a visual display of the calories per minute and the calories which have been burned since a predetermined time.
A still further object of the invention is to provide a calorie counter which may be incorporated into a wristwatch configuration. A still further object of the invention is to provide a calorie counter which is economical of manufacture, durable in use and refined in appearance.